Dennis Allen's rise through the coaching ranks was so fast - he was an entry-level quality-control coach in 2005 - that his last stop before becoming the Raiders' head coach this spring could be just a blur. After all, he was with the Denver Broncos for just a year as their defensive coordinator.

But when he returns to Sports Authority Field on Sunday, despite saying this is "like every other week" a dozen times, Allen admits this game will have a "different feel." He called the defensive plays for the Broncos and probably still knows some of their players better than his own.

But "you can't let that take over," Allen said. "It's not about me. It's not about Dennis Allen versus the Denver Broncos."

No, it's not. Whether the Broncos can stop Darren McFadden or the Raiders can contain Peyton Manning and his receivers will go much further in determining the winner of an AFC West matchup between teams with 1-2 records.

But Allen will have a hand in it. The Broncos' defense went from 32nd in total yards allowed to 20th and from 30th in stopping the run to 22nd, with head coach John Fox giving Allen the play-calling responsibilities.

"He had this thing where he would break down personnel formations," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "You see coaches do that a lot, but he was really big on how he broke teams down. ...

"He was really big on seeing teams come out of the huddle. Read the story. They're telling you something, so when they come out and line up, you know what to expect. I kind of carried that over to this year."

Allen has seen the Broncos tweak some of the things they did last year since former Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio came on board as defensive coordinator. Allen said Denver uses quarters coverage, with defensive backs covering four zones.

"They're still applying a lot of the same principles," Allen said. "They play extremely hard, they run fast to the ball, they play their corners up tight on the outside and get up on receivers."

Allen can only hope his Raiders team plays like Fox's.

"He's not afraid to make tough decisions," Allen said. "He believes in a lot of the same things I believe in. He's always had a tough, smart, disciplined team, and I believe in those things."

Allen was very impressed with how Fox retooled the whole offense for quarterback Tim Tebow as the season progressed to give the Broncos a running chance at winning more games.

Fox is also very high on Allen, and had no illusions that they would be working side-by-side for a long time.

"He's a guy with, I call, the 'it' factor," Fox said. "So it did not surprise me people looking for coaches in this league would be interested in talking to him."

Allen became the youngest head coach in the league when Reggie McKenzie hired him, and he just turned 40 last weekend.

But the young guy's message rings true, Broncos players say.

"Just his attitude, the way he comes to work, consistency," Denver defensive end Elvis Dumervil said. "There's a lot you can learn from a guy like that."